
La Sirena
Long-running L'Estartit dive centre (founded 1969) running a four-boat fleet to the Illes Medes reserve and Montgrí coast, with SSI training and a strong family/snorkel programme.
The northernmost and least-visited islet in Illes Medes, with a gorgonian-filled crack wall to 34 m and groupers from 10 m down.
Last updated April 2026
North of Meda Gran, the boat ride is a few minutes longer than for every other Medes site. That distance keeps the diver counts down. The north wall of El Medallot has a large crack running through it, the kind that splits a rock face and opens into a sequence of smaller pockets and crevices. Gorgonians grow on the crack faces. The crevices are full of hidden life. Groupers appear early in the descent, already at 10 metres, and follow you down as the wall deepens toward 30 m. Schools of corvina move through at mid-water — not a species you read about at Carall Bernat or Tascó Petit. The dive profile is a classic wall: descend the face, work along the crack feature, look into the blue for anything passing through.
The same reserve that produces the famous tame groupers of Carall Bernat also produces the wildlife here — except these animals see far fewer people. That difference is noticeable. Groupers that have been approached by hundreds of divers a week become furniture. Groupers at El Medallot still respond when you appear. One diver account from the Medes describes a dozen large individuals surrounding the islet, visible in the water column from 10 m all the way to 30 m. That is the same reserve protection at work, without the habituation. The corvinas are a separate data point. Schools of 8-10 individuals have been documented at mid-water here, fish that forum divers found unusual enough to name the post after them.
Ask for it by name. Dive centres may not offer El Medallot unless you request it, and on some days the site does not run at all. The northern exposure matters: this face catches tramontana when the sheltered southern sites are calm. Check conditions when booking, not on the morning. Nitrox makes sense at 34 m. Bring one if the centre offers it. Both sources with detailed descriptions of this site mention looking into the blue beyond the wall. Position yourself on the reef edge and scan open water, not just the crack face. That is where the corvinas school and where any passing pelagic fish will appear first.
What makes this dive site stand out.
Animals here are less habituated to divers than at southern Medes sites
North-facing wall split by a large crack, crevices full of gorgonians and hidden life
Forum divers report seeing groupers from 10 m down to 30 m in a single dive
Request it specifically at booking, centres may not include it by default
42.0517°N, 3.2216°E
Summer months offer warmest water. Northerly position means check conditions in spring and autumn.
Verify current rates with dive centre
34 m max depth and northern exposure make this more demanding than most Medes sites. OWD divers must be accompanied by a divemaster or instructor per reserve rules.
Summary
The depth profile and northern exposure can produce different conditions from the sheltered southern sites. Not a typical first Medes dive.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
Book a guided dive at this site.

Long-running L'Estartit dive centre (founded 1969) running a four-boat fleet to the Illes Medes reserve and Montgrí coast, with SSI training and a strong family/snorkel programme.

Family-run hotel and dive centre in L'Estartit since 1985, with two dedicated boats and four daily departures to the Illes Medes reserve.

L'Estartit's oldest dive centre (est. 1965), a PADI 5 Star CDC running daily boat trips to Illes Medes and the Montgrí Coast with volume dive packages.

SSI Diamond Instructor Center in L'Estartit, authorized Illes Medes operator since 2008. Full spectrum from try dives to cave and technical diving.

Get in touch to add or claim your dive center listing on DiveCodex.
Dive centres in Catalonia must require insurance from every diver on their dives, and must be able to offer a policy to anyone who has none.
El Medallot is the northernmost and least-dived site in the archipelago. Its defining quality is wildlife that is less accustomed to divers than at the heavily-visited southern sites. You get the same groupers, gorgonians, and reserve protection, but animals behave more naturally. Fewer divers per day also means a quieter experience overall.
Yes. Because it is less popular, centres may not include it in their standard site rotation. If you want to dive El Medallot, mention it when booking. Some days it may not run if demand is low or conditions are unfavourable due to its northern exposure.
The main feature is a large crack splitting the north-facing wall, with smaller crevices and pockets throughout. Gorgonians grow on the crack faces and along the surrounding wall, and the crevices shelter hidden marine life. Groupers are present from 10 m down to the base of the wall at 34 m. Schools of corvinas — fish that are effectively absent from most diver reports at other Medes sites — appear mid-water.
More demanding than Salpatxot, roughly comparable to Carall Bernat. The 34 m maximum depth and northern exposure suit divers with at least Advanced Open Water and some Medes experience. The profile is not extreme, but El Medallot is not a first-dive choice.
Yes. One of the more striking diver accounts from this site describes a dozen large groupers surrounding the islet, seen continuously from 10 m to 30 m in a single dive. The groupers at El Medallot are less habituated than those at Carall Bernat or Tascó Petit, which can make encounters feel more unexpected.
Corvinas (a type of croaker) in schools of 8-10 individuals have been documented at mid-water at El Medallot. Greater forkbeard has also been reported here. Neither species appears regularly in accounts from the busier southern sites. The greater forkbeard is a deep-dwelling fish, and sightings near 30 m are the likely depth.
Log your dives - notes, photos, conditions and the marine life you saw - and share them as one public diver profile. What you share helps the next diver, too.
Log every detail
Depth, duration, conditions, gear, buddy, notes — all in one place. Import from Suunto and other dive computers.
Track marine life
Record species sightings on each dive. Build a personal catalogue of everything you've seen underwater.
Your public dive profile
Share your dive history, stats, and experiences with a profile page you control. Show the world where you've been.